Integrating GIS with Hydrodynamic Model for Wastewater Disposal and Management: Pearl River Estuary

Abstract

The Pearl River Estuary (PRE) has been experiencing serious water quality deterioration due to the tremendous economic and industrial developments in the nearby regions during the recent years. The integration of a hydrodynamic model, a geographic information system (GIS), and a database of collected field data can provide efficient tools for evaluating potential environmental impact and managing wastewater disposal in PRE. Essential capabilities include: (1) Display of field data in forms of spatial layer, time series, and profile, (2) Data interpolation combining spatial and temporal techniques, (3) Model mesh grid configuration, (4) Model input editing, and (5) Model output interpretation and display. The integrated system is conveniently designed to apply for environmental impact assessment (EIA).